Flint and Spark: Breaking Away
by Rimba
Summary: Two cats, Flintclaw of RiverClan and Sparkfur of ThunderClan. Their fates intertwine after they both recieve a bonechilling dream. They'll travel back to the old forest, find an old friend, save the Clans from disaster, and even share some romance! R&R!
1. Allegiances

**(Just so you know, some of these are taken directly from the books. Also, Nightpaw is after one of my cats, Ringo.)**

**THUNDERCLAN**

LEADER: Firestar – very old flame-colored tom

DEPUTY: Redstripe – reddish tabby tom, great-grandson of Firestar

MEDICINE CAT: Leafpool – aging tabby she-cat with amber eyes APPRENTICE, JAYPAW

WARRIORS

Squirrelflight – dark red she-cat, green eyes, a senior warrior

Lionfur – golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Hollywhisker – black she-cat with green eyes APPRENTICE, LICHENPAW

Berrytail – creamy tom

Cinderfoot – gray tabby she-cat

Mousepelt – gray-and-white tom APPRENTICE, BUMBLEBEE

Sparkfur – fiery scarlet tabby she-cat, great-great-granddaughter of Firestar

Birchfall – light brown tabby tom

Brook Where Small Fish Swim (Brook) – brown tabby she-cat, formerly of the Tribe of Rushing Water

Stormfur – dark gray tom with amber eyes, formerly of RiverClan

Whitewing – white she-cat with green eyes

Millie – silver tabby she-cat, former kittypet, blue eyes

Poppypatch – tortoiseshell she-cat

Hazelpounce – small gray-and-white she-cat

Flowersong – gray she-cat with blue eyes, Redstripe's mate, formerly of RiverClan APPRENTICE, NIGHTPAW

Blackfoot – gray black-footed tom, green eyes

Iceclaw – white she-cat

Foxshadow – reddish tabby tom

APPRENTICES

Jayleaf – gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Lichenpaw – gray she-cat with one black paw and green eyes, Blackfoot's younger sister

Bumblebee – former loner, golden tom with black stripes

Nightpaw – completely black she-cat with a white ring around one eye

QUEENS

Honeyheart – light brown tabby she-cat, heavily pregnant with Mousepelt's kits

ELDERS

Dustpelt – dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm – pale ginger she-cat

Cloudtail – long-haired white tom

Brackenfur – golden brown tabby tom

Sorreltail - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Thornclaw – golden brown tabby tom **(Whoa! Brackenfur has his same description!)**

Brightheart – white she-cat with ginger patches

Ashfur – pale gray (with darker flecks) tom, dark blue eyes

Graystripe – long-haired gray tom

SHADOWCLAN

LEADER: Russetstar – dark ginger she-cat

DEPUTY: Snowbird – pure white she-cat

MEDICINE CAT: Tigerstripe, son of Tawnypelt; tabby tom

WARRIORS

Flametail – reddish tom APPRENTICE, MOUNTAINPAW

Owlpelt – gray tabby tom APPRENTICE, LIZARDPAW

Ivyleap – green-eyed brown tom

QUEENS

Dawnbreath – beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with a ginger patch and green eyes, pregnant to Owlpelt's kits

ELDERS

Tawnypelt – tortoiseshell she-cat

Oakfur – small brown tom

WINDCLAN

LEADER: Onestar – brown tabby tom

DEPUTY: Harenose – white tom APPRENTICE, GRASSPAW

MEDICINE CAT: Barkface – _very _ancient short-tailed brown tom APPRENTICE, KESTRELFLIGHT

WARRIORS

Heatherwhisper – (**I forgot what color!) **some-colored she-cat with blue eyes APPRENTICE, RABBITPAW

Breezeclaw – white tom

Nightcloud – black she-cat

Owlwhisker – light brown tabby tom APPRENTICE, OSPREYPAW

Crowfeather – dark gray tom

QUEENS

Whitetail – small white she-cat

ELDERS

Weaselfur – ginger tom with white paws

Tornear – tabby tom

RIVERCLAN

LEADER: Mistystar – gray she-cat with blue eyes APPRENTICE, FISHPAW

DEPUTY: Graywater – puddle-gray tom

MEDICINE CAT: Willowfur – **(GAH! Forgot again!) **some-colored she-cat APPRENTICE, MALLOWPAW

WARRIORS

Minnowtail – gray tom with pale gray-green eyes

Flintclaw – silver tabby tom with crystal blue eyes

Reedfoot – lanky brown tom APPRENTICE, STRIPEPAW

Pouncewater – brown tom

Pebbleleg – black she-cat

Browntail – brown tom with a large nick in his ear

Waterwind - a sleek black tom

Silverfur – silvery she-cat

Sneezemuzzle – gray tabby tom

QUEENS

Larkrose – red-and-white she-cat

ELDERS

Mothwing –dappled golden she-cat

Blackclaw – smoky black tom

Voletooth – small brown tabby tom

Dawnflower – pale gray she-cat


	2. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Warriors. That's Erin Hunter.**

The sky was black, with only a few starry pinpricks in the stretched ebony hide. Four cats huddled around a pool atop a tall, squat pillar. The pillar was the size of two saplings perched upon one another.

The water was beautiful. Stars were reflected in the water, though when one looked up, there was nothing there. The four cats stared into its cold, dark depths. A young gray she-cat, with a twisted leg, looked up at the mangy old queen across from her. "Yellowfang," mewed the cat solemnly, "must he truly die?"

"It must be this way, Cinderpelt," Yellowfang replied. "It is the prophecy."

A beautiful tortoiseshell gave a yowl of horror and nearly toppled in. A blue-gray queen darted forward and grabbed her scruff. "Spottedleaf!" the blue queen scolded. "Although you care for him, you mustn't break the waters! Not a ripple! You know this upon entering StarClan!"

"I am sorry, Bluestar," Spottedleaf apologized. "But…if it is for the greater good of the Clans, so be it." Her eyes became glassy and her head lifted from the water. Her heartbroken voice became smooth and silky as she spoke the prophecy: "_When the fire dies, spark and flint alone can harness the power to bring it back to life._" The gloss faded from her eyes and the crack returned to her voice.

"But Bluestar!" protested Cinderpelt. "This cannot be so. It is a joke. When a cat dies, it cannot be reborn!"

"Ah, you'd be surprised, Cinderpelt," said Yellowfang, giving a croaking laugh. "For you see, look at what happened in ThunderClan." The waters churned and boiled, then began to settle.

Two pictures rippled across the pool. One was of an apprentice Cinderpelt, bouncing along with Firestar, at the time Fireheart. The other was of a little gray fur-ball, almost exactly like Cinderpelt. "What…how…"

"That is Cinderpaw. She was born shortly after you died," explained Yellowfang.

"The nerve of some StarClan members!" Cinderpelt gasped, shaking her head.


	3. Flintclaw's Dream

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Warriors, sadly.**

FLINTCLAW POV

A cool spring breeze wafted by. Flintclaw paid it no mind, just steadily watched the ripples of the river. A large fish began to wiggle by; but it had miscalculated its distance from the bank and was sticking in the pebbly mud.

"Good," whispered Flintclaw under his breath. He snagged the fish with his claws and lifted it out of the water. One heavy bite snapped the jugular vein and the fish stopped wriggling. He placed it in a small pile beside him, glad that he was done fishing and could return to camp.

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Flintclaw gnawed on a fish's slippery tail thoughtfully, not aware of what he was doing until Silverfur came up. "What are you doing?" she meowed quizzically. Quickly he spat it out.

"Nothing," he said, trying to rid himself of the embarrassment that flowed over him from his crush's curiosity. He had watched Silverfur tenderly from afar, knowing she wouldn't like him. It was easy to tell she liked Waterwind, a sleek black tom.

He got up from his spot near the cattails and went into the warriors' den. Flintclaw settled beside his best friend, Reedfoot, and yawned. But before his sleepy eyes closed, they took in Waterwind gently washing the silver coat of his crush. Fury enveloped him like a cast of ice and he faded into harsh, angry dreams.

First it was just flames. The fire was everywhere, burning, just burning. It lipped the sky, not burning anything in particular. Then it rained, rained and rained. Flintclaw became drenched. The fire died, leaving only five sparks on a sharp rock.

A warm, beautiful scent washed over Flintclaw. He turned to see a pretty tortoiseshell. "I'm Spottedleaf, and you must be Flintclaw," she said. Her voice was cracked, but still somewhat silky. She gestured to the spark-blanketed rock. "That is flint."

"_When the fire dies, spark and flint alone can harness the power to bring it back to life_," she whispered to him. He gaped as she darted away.

"Wait! Spottedleaf!" he called out. "What do you mean? Why would I bring flint back to life? Where are you going?!"

She turned and looked at him. Their eyes met, and she smiled. But with a flick of her tail, the space between them again erupted into flames.

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**I know, I know, my chapters are short. But then there'll be lots of them! Check back soon if you want more. And please review! I live on reviews. But please no flames; just suggestions if you're going to criticize.**


	4. Firestar and the Fox

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. Note: Sorry for not updating, I was busy. But I'm baaack!**

"SPARKFUR!"

A reddish tabby whipped around to look at the fiery-eyed cat approaching, or as she knew him, her father. "Uh-oh," said her friend, Blackfoot, in a singsong voice. "Here comes Redstripe. I'd better go." The gray, black-footed cat darted off, waving her tail in the air.

"Hey!" Sparkfur shouted after him. She turned back to look at Redstripe, who was nearly in speaking range. "So much for loyal," she muttered under her breath. Redstripe finally got close enough, and spoke in low tones. "Sparkfur, didn't I tell you to go hunt at sunhigh?"

"Um…" She shifted uncomfortably, twitching her whiskers. "Maybe…wait! Is that a trick question?" Redstripe gave an exasperated sigh and boxed her across the ears, knocking her over.

"Honestly! It's almost sundown. I'm not raising you to play around. I'm the deputy—for that matter, I'm your father—and I expect you to do something when I ask you to do it! Now, go hunt."

"But—" Sparkfur protested.

"No buts! And you can't eat till I tell you to. We have a Clan to feed." Redstripe turned away.

"Okay." The scarlet she-cat looked at the setting sun and sighed, then turned toward the edge of camp.

"Where are you going, Sparkfur?" a voice called. Normally she would have whipped around and snapped rudely, but it was Firestar. The aging tom padded up and smiled. His orange fur was graying, but she could almost feel all his adventures pulsing in her veins. She understood his strong, powerful face. She knew what it was like to be rejected at first. She knew.

"I'm going hunting, because I didn't earlier." She waited for a quick scolding, and got only a laugh.

"Well, is there room for one more on your hunt?" Firestar asked, studying her face. She looked up, surprised.

"Really? You'd come with me?" A smile crossed her face. He laughed again and meowed, "Well, why not? I've got nothing better to do, and"—he lowered his voice—"I've been itching for a good, plump vole." Sparkfur giggled, and they ran off, she matching his strides perfectly.

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"Firestar, no!" Sparkfur yowled in horror. The tom turned too late. A pointy-nosed fox jumped upon him.

"You get off my leader, you mangy dog!" she shrieked, leaping for the fox. Her claws scored down its flank as she struggled atop it. The animal stopped momentarily and bucked its hind legs, yelping in pain. Sparkfur clung fast and sank her teeth into its neck. The fox wobbled, gurgled a cry, and toppled. She ripped away, blood and fur filling her mouth.

Spitting out the contents of her jaws, she turned to Firestar. His side was bloody and unrecognizable. One of his legs had barely any foot left. "Firestar," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry." He was unconscious, because he didn't answer. Sparkfur took a deep breath and began shrugging the injured cat onto her back. When her back was bending from his weight, she raced back to the camp.

"Help! Help! Leafpool!" Every cat looked up. The elder, Graystripe, gasped and darted over to her with a small limp. Although retired from warrior duties, he could be strong if he had to. He shrugged half the bloody orange load onto his back, and they took Firestar to Leafpool's den.

The tabby looked shocked to see her grandfather like that. She hissed in her breath. "Come, come, quickly. Be gentle when you set him down." They laid him softly onto the moss bed, and Leafpool began to slowly lick the blood off his fur. Graystripe clung to the edge of the den, looking worried and sorrowful.

"How did this happen?" Leafpool asked, pausing for a moment. Jaypaw came out of the back, looking about. His crystal blue eyes were of no use.

"A fox attacked him," Sparkfur whispered, wistful. She looked away.

"_What? _A _fox? _Are you hurt? I must tell Redstripe—" Leafpool rushed into a jumbled mess of words.

"No. I'm not hurt. I killed it."

All the cats stared at her in awe. Jaypaw, however, looked somewhere above her left shoulder.

"Um…thanks. Go get some rest."

Sparkfur padded away, feeling responsible for the leader's injuries. She hoped he would be alright. Quietly she settled her nest next to Blackfoot and went to sleep.

Flames crackled and burned. They reached for the skies, smoke plumes billowing out from the fire.

Then it rained. It was a full-blown downpour, and Sparkfur ran for cover. She hid beneath a weeping willow beside a river, shivering. She was cold and wet, and hurried out when the rain stopped. Interested in a bright thing in the charred remains of the fire, she trotted up to it. It was a rock with five glowing sparks on it. She blew on them, but they didn't move.

A tortoiseshell appeared. She smiled. "Hello, Sparkfur. My name is Spottedleaf. That is flint, and you probably know those are sparks."

"Yes, but—"

"_When the fire dies, spark and flint alone can harness the power to bring it back to life,_" she murmured.

"What? What do you mean?" Sparkfur asked, confused. Spottedleaf ran away, across the burnt field. "Spottedleaf! Wait!"

The tortoiseshell looked back. She gave her a small smile. "Good luck!" She flicked her tail, and flames hissed up once more.


	5. Firestar's Death

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors and I never will, sadly. Please review!**

**FLINTCLAW POV**

Flintclaw woke to a whack across the ears. Reedfoot sat glaring at him, looking drowsy. "I was planning to sleep until the night patrol _woke _me for the dawn one, but now that I'm roused," he muttered, "I might as well get ready." He glanced at Flintclaw, blinking sleepily. "Well, you too! Or have you forgotten you've got the dawn patrol also?"

Only then did the gray tabby remember his dream, but he was wise enough to say nothing. The two cats hurried outside into the chill air of leaf-fall and grabbed a piece of fresh-kill from last night. Flintclaw began ripping the soft downy feathers out of a thrush's winter molt with his claws, while Reedfoot began taking off the tail of his fish. When they had eaten the last tasty morsels of their meal, they took their scraps and buried them. Then they hurriedly began to wash.

Reedfoot muttered between cleaning Flintclaw's back, "I think…that even…though we…got up early…it didn't help. We're…still going…to be late. Okay, my turn." The tabby began to lick his friend's back and quickly smoothed the damp fur.

They heard the rustle of the night patrol coming in through the cattails surrounding the entrance. Flintclaw licked his chest fur, swiped a paw over his ears, and skimmed his tongue over his long, bushy tail. Mistystar padded in, followed by Browntail, Graywater, and Fishpaw. "Hello, you two," said the leader with a smile. "Where is your apprentice, Reedfoot?"

"I'm right here, right here, Mistystar!" called out a small voice. Stripepaw bounded out of the apprentice's den, trying to clean her ears as she ran. "Sorry I'm late. I was having this _amazing _dream! There were fish everywhere and Fishpaw and I were eating and playing and then the whole Clan came and they cheered—"

"That's quite enough, Stripepaw," Reedfoot said, giving her a look. The brown tabby tried to look innocent, washing her ears. Flintclaw liked the bold black stripe on the leg she was using to clean her face. He looked up and noticed Mistystar examining the same. Then she straightened and said, "Off you go!"

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SPARKFUR POV

At the crack of dawn, Sparkfur was up like a shot. She pedaled her legs, throwing moss all over Blackfoot, and darted to the medicine cat's den. As she did, she plowed through the fresh-kill pile, which scattered prey everywhere. With a _ping, _a skinny blackbird bounced off a rock and hit Redstripe between the eyes. This caused a pile of pebbles to fall, which rained upon him as well. The deputy gave a small growl, but began collecting the fresh-kill, not noticing the pebbles rolling down a tiny hill, which tripped Sandstorm, causing her to roll away to knock Cloudtail over. Then they turned into a furry knot and fought, trying to untangle themselves as they rolled all over camp.

"Leafpool! Is Firestar okay? Can I see him? I need to talk to him!" Sparkfur yowled. The medicine cat lifted her head sleepily.

"Huh? What? Leave me be, Sparkfur, I've only gotten to sleep at moonhigh. And even then…augh!" She flopped back down. "I'm sure he's fine," she mewed, her voice muffled by moss.

"WHOA!" Sparkfur had been unable to stop and tripped right over Firestar. "Oh! Firestar, I'm sorry!" she gasped. The leader, with his wounds bound in cobwebs, looked up at her feebly.

"It is…alright," he croaked. Her father's voice woke Leafpool instantly. "I feel no pain. My time has come and gone. Yours is just beginning."

Sparkfur felt tears running down her face. "Does this mean…you're dying? But why? You've got two more lives left. Don't leave me. Don't leave any of us!"

"Dear," he whispered. "I'm not leaving. I'll be in StarClan. And I am so old, and so willing to go…well, StarClan saw fit to let me go." Firestar began looking smaller. "Goodbye. And Sparkfur…I want _you _to tell Sandstorm. Leafpool, I love you dearly, just as I love your sister and Cloudtail. Tell them this, Leafpool. Now…goodbye." He shuddered and breathed no more.

"SAAAANDSTOOOORM!" Sparkfur yelled. She ran to the pile of cats and quickly undid the knot. Cloudtail slunk away, muttering. Sandstorm looked worried as Sparkfur ran her tail across the older cat's shoulder.

"I am _so _sorry," she whispered. "Firestar is…dead." Sandstorm screamed and lost consciousness.

"Oh, boy." Sparkfur shook her head and turned to see all the damage she'd caused. "This all happened when I was going to Firestar?" The name clicked in her head and she sank down.

Blackfoot, with moss hanging off his ears, glowered. "Yes. How is he?" He looked horrified when he found out that Firestar was dead.

"I'm going to miss him so much." Then she saw a milky pool of blackness and she sank into it. It was softer than moss…

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Sparkfur heard quiet sniffling in the distance. She raced forward, surprised to see Spottedleaf. The cat hung her head as she looked into a pool of water. Firestar was moving in the depths, looking around him. He passed by beautiful trees, full of leaves and a few squirrels. Frosty starlight surrounded his paws.

"He is in StarClan now," she said, acknowledging Sparkfur's presence though not looking up. "Every day is greenleaf. Some days are tragedy, some days are greatness. But now…we can…no." She looked up. "His love belongs with Sandstorm. If Bluestar caught me thinking about what could've been again…

"Listen, and listen closely, because I will only say this once." Spottedleaf gazed around to make sure no one was looking. "As far as we know, if anyone asks, you didn't even come to StarClan territory. Go to the RiverClan group at the Gathering tomorrow and find Flintclaw. Yes, Flintclaw. Talk to him about me. Tell him your dream. Other than that, I can't tell you what's going to happen.

"Now. Go!" Spottedleaf gestured into the waters. "That's the only way out." Sparkfur jumped.


	6. Their First Meeting

**Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own Warriors. This is just a fan-fiction I made up 'cause I was bored, and will SO finish. So there. R & R, please.**

FLINTCLAW POV

Flintclaw padded up the tree, carefully winding through the branches with his sleek gray body. He hopped off and looked around the island, hoping to see his friend Rabbitfoot of WindClan. But the new white warrior wasn't there. He hurried to Leopardshadow, his friend's former mentor. The cat was spotted like a leopard, which was strange for WindClan cats. "Leopardshadow!" he called.

The she-cat turned. "Yes?" He hurried through his questions. "Oh! Rabbitfoot has a mate now, Hawktail. He'd only just found out today that she would bear his kits, so he wanted to stay behind."

"Wow! That's great!" Flintclaw exclaimed. He turned to hear a heated discussion between a red ThunderClan tabby and Mistystar.

"All I want to know is where I can find Flintclaw!" hissed the she-cat. "That isn't too hard."

"Well, why do you want to find him?!" Mistystar shot back, sounding as though she was tired of repeating this. It went on like this for a few moments until Flintclaw stepped between them.

"I'm Flintclaw. And you are?"

He was surprised to see that when her fur lay down, it was still almost as big. _Her fur must be really thick,_ he thought. The tom stared into her amber eyes. "I'm Sparkfur." Mistystar stomped away to the big tree, muttering. "Listen. I know you've dreamt of Spottedleaf. So have I."

He was about to reply when a yowl sounded out from the tree. Redstripe, the ThunderClan deputy, stepped forward. A quiet mumbling started. "QUIET!" screeched Onestar.

"Thank you, Onestar," Redstripe meowed. "Blackfoot's apprentice has now become Barleypool. I know that I will share the most tragic news of this Gathering. Firestar, our valiant leader, is dead."

Flintclaw's heart lurched and went out to Sparkfur especially; her head was bowed as if she had not yet gotten over most of the shock. "Our new deputy," he went on, "is Squirrelflight."

The orange warrior walked to the base of the tree with the other three deputies, sat, and curled her tail nervously around herself.

"That is all." Redstripe stepped back.

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SPARKFUR POV

The red tabby couldn't sleep. She hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Flintclaw and now, there was a constant rustling in the bushes.

"_Sparkfur!_" someone hissed. "_Sparkfur, get out here!_"

Too confused to refuse, she slunk out of her warm bed and parted the bushes with a paw. Flintclaw looked at her with his crystal blue eyes, just like Jaypaw's, except he could see. **(A little note here, if you check my profile you'll see a pretty good picture of what Flintclaw looks like.) **"Come on," he whispered. "I've had another dream. But it was with Firestar this time. He said…go to the forest. Find a friend."

"But we're _in _the forest!" Sparkfur exclaimed as they hurried out of camp. She scratched her chin on a thorn in the bush, and wiped away the welling blood drops. "Unless…unless he means the old forest! And what does he mean by 'find a friend'?"

"I don't know. But I'm thinking we should leave s—MRROOWWW!" He was ambushed by Squirrelflight, who had jumped him.

"Get out, you fuzzball RiverClan cat!" she hissed. Flintclaw scrambled up and dashed away. Then she turned to Sparkfur. "Did he hurt you?" she meowed, noticing the cut on her face.

"No. It was from a thorn. But you just ruined everything!" Sparkfur snarled, flicking her tail and heading back to camp.

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SPARKFUR POV, STILL

Sparkfur had sat in the middle of camp with her head bowed, awake, the rest of the night. Her father came out of his den and looked surprised to see her.

"What, are you playing out your warrior vigil over again?" he called. She looked up.

"Redstripe, I need to talk to you."


	7. She Was Shocked, He Was Breaking Free

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Warriors…blah-blah-blah…Review checkups!**

**Kira2667: Sparkfur is distantly related, actually. Okay, Redstripe's father was Lionfur, Squirrelflight's son. And, of course, she is Firestar's daughter. WHEW! I hope that clears things up!**

**Also, I'm giving out awesome Sparkfur stuffed cats if you review, but I'll give you Sparkfur AND Spottedleaf ones if you understood the family tree! Whoot!**

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THE OLD FOREST: RAVENPAW POV

"Ravenpaw…Ravenpaw…Ravenpaw!" a voice called gently.

"Barley? Why are you in my dreams?" the black cat asked, confused. But an object appeared out of the forest, and it _definitely _wasn't the black-and-white tom, Barley. An orange face grinned out at him, and he gave a _mrrow _of laughter.

"Uh, Firestar, why am I dreaming about you and why are you dreaming about me, and why are we dreaming about each other at the same time?" Ravenpaw wanted to know, even more puzzled than ever. He was quieted by a flame-colored tail-tip that pressed itself against his muzzle.

"I'm not dreaming of you. I'm dead." His ears flattened as Ravenpaw let out a sudden cry of sorrow. "It's okay, Ravenpaw. I've come to tell you something more important. _When the fire dies, flint and spark alone can harness the power to bring it back to life._ Now, two cats will be coming. I don't know when, but they _will come_. And when they do, be ready. I will see you soon, my friend." They touched their muzzles to each other's shoulder, and Firestar disappeared.

"Hey, Ravenpaw!" another voice called, this one rougher and jollier.

Ravenpaw, thinking it to be Firestar, hissed, "WHAT?"…and then opened his eyes. He blinked into the chubby, happy face of Barley, who looked concerned.

"You were saying I was in your dreams, which is strange because all I was dreaming about was this really pretty brown cat, with white paws." Barley looked half-embarrassed.

Ravenpaw yawned and flipped over onto his feet. "You mean Princess?" The pudgy cat nodded. Ravenpaw jumped onto a hay bale and began pawing through it. "Hmm. This is strange; I can't find any mice." He jumped to the bale above it and clawed it apart. His heart wrenched in panic. "None here, either." Barley attacked the bales on the other side, and one by one, throwing down hay and straw, they dug through the bales, to find only four mice, all of which were dead already, and stunk like a drowned rat left on a Twoleg sidewalk to rot.

"Oh no!" Ravenpaw yowled. "The forest is Twolegplace now, and the only prey is a few occasional squirrels and some pet rabbits!" Barley's stomach rumbled. Ravenpaw's white-tipped tail flicked anxiously. "Barley, do you think we'll have to…"

"Become kittypets?" he finished. He twitched his whiskers. "I hope not, but if it means survival, I don't think we really have a choice." Ravenpaw's heart dropped into his stomach.

"StarClan!" he howled. "What have you done?!"

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THE LEADER'S DEN: SPARKFUR POV

"S-so…you're saying, you're going to _leave _to go to the old forest?" Redstar mewed, skeptical. Sparkfur's fur was fluffed and her claws scraped the stone in exasperation. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, looking at her distorted stripes.

"_Yes_. I need to go. Tonight." Sparkfur stood up, shook out her fur, laid it flat, flicked her tail, and walked out of the leader's den. Redstar looked after her, but didn't say anything. Silently he accepted her choice.

Blackfoot looked up from washing. "What were you up to?" he asked.

"Nothing." She hated lying to her best friend, but he could figure out later. Blackfoot suddenly jumped three feet in the air. "WHAT in StarClan was that for!" she yowled, surprised.

Blackfoot grinned. "Come on." He led Sparkfur through the entrance to the camp and onward for a while. Finally they stopped by a tree that had only twelve leaves left. The others were crowded around the trunk, looking for a piece of turf to call their own. His voice shook. "Sparkfur, ever since you became an apprentice, a day after me, I've been in love with you. When they called out your name, 'Sparkfur! Sparkfur!' when you became a warrior, I loved you more. And if I don't tell you now, I might just…never say it."

Sparkfur was shocked. Her mouth dropped open. Silence erupted between the pair. When she'd recovered, she hung her head. "I'm sorry, Blackfoot. But I do not feel the same way. I love you as a friend, but…not…_that _way." Blackfoot trembled, his bright green eyes dimming of all hope, and he raced away.

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NEAR THE RIVERCLAN BORDER: FLINTCLAW POV

Flintclaw crouched, spotting a vole only a tail-length away. He crept forward, the rodent's nibbling too loud for him to notice anything. As he pounced, another creature crashed into him and sent them flying into the river. Obviously, the vole ran away. "What in the name of StarClan?" he yowled, staring suddenly into smiling amber eyes. "Sparkfur!"

She stood up and shook ice-cold drops from her thick fur. "You've guessed correctly, my friend. Now come on! We gotta go."

"What? Why?" Flintclaw asked, confused, shaking as well. She quickly explained why, repeating most of Flintclaw's dreams, and hers.

"_That's _why. Now come on!" Sparkfur shifted from paw to paw impatiently.

"Hold on. I must say goodbye to someone." He jumped across the river, hind legs splashing in at the other side. He scrambled out and ran towards the camp, ignoring her frustrated, "_Hurry!_" He sprinted through the cattails, and saw Reedfoot look up. He spotted Flintclaw's face in the reeds. "Come here," he mouthed.

Reedfoot left his fish and trotted over to him, squirming into the cattails. "What are you doing? Why do you smell like ThunderClan?"

Flintclaw gave a hurried explanation. "Reedfoot, I'm leaving tonight, and I may not come back. I will miss you."

Reedfoot pressed his muzzle into the crook between his friend's collarbone and shoulder. "Goodbye, Flintclaw. I wish you luck. And I'll cover for you!" he called as Flintclaw dashed away.

A sudden sorrow drifted over him. He'd never been separated from his friend, let alone the Clan or the lake. Now…he was breaking away, breaking free. The sorrow lifted. He was going to go on an adventure, with a spunky ThunderClan she-cat with attitude and courage.

What could go wrong?


	8. Running Away

**Liza Taylor: Just scroll down to the end of the chapter; you'll figure it out!**

**---**

ON THE THUNDERPATH: SPARKFUR POV

Sparkfur walked slowly, her legs aching, her mouth parched, and her stomach rumbling underneath her thick fur. Her partner's pace had slowed also. The moon had raised high in the sky and still they traveled. They both agreed to walk till morning, then hunt and rest. Now Sparkfur regretted what she'd said. One paw was sliced on a rock and every step she took, she left a splash of blood. Flintclaw obviously didn't notice, because he limped onward, his fur glimmering softly.

"I'm tired," she mumbled. She was surprised she'd admitted it. He halted, flicking his ears. The silver tabby frowned, and looked at the patches of blood.

"We should stop. You're hurt, and I don't think you should keep on." Gratefully the scarlet she-cat sank to the ground, flanks heaving. Flintclaw leaned over and began rasping his tongue over the cut. He spat after a few licks, gravel lodged in pools of saliva. "You really messed up your pad."

"Hmm." She was barely listening. A loud rustling broke the silence. "There's a vole," she murmured, trying to stand. But she plopped down again with exhaustion. "Can you hunt?"

He nodded, his fur thick and shiny from all the fish he ate. "Yes." He crept forward, but he wasn't _especially _skilled in the art of stalking. Flintclaw's tail was curled in the air and his weight was unbalanced. Sparkfur muffled a laugh and watched. His hind legs bounced off the ground, and Sparkfur winced—too heavy a vibration. The vole darted out from between the RiverClan tom's claws and disappeared. Sighing, he spun around and returned.

"Nice going, badger," she meowed teasingly. Flintclaw obviously wasn't in the mood, because he flattened his ears and spat.

"I don't see _you _trying to hunt for us!" he snapped, lying down near a patch of ferns. She stared, startled and hurt, at his turned tabby back, and looked away.

"Sorry." He just rippled his fur, and she curled up next to a tree, huddling for warmth. It was nearly winter. Sparkfur shivered and glanced at Flintclaw. At first they'd been friends, then a little laugh and he got prickly. _He's almost as bad as that WindClan elder, Crowfeather! _she thought. Licking her paw, she melted into sleep.

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RIVERCLAN CAMP: REEDFOOT POV

Reedfoot yawned and stretched. He smacked his lips, looking around for Flintclaw. Of course, he wasn't there. He felt a heap of sorrow drop itself on him. The brown tom missed his best friend, and decided to seek comfort in training Stripepaw.

Reedfoot took a large fish from the pile and began eating. Stripepaw came out of the apprentices' den and sank her teeth into a trout, licking her lips as cold blood ran down her chin. Sitting down beside him, the tabby ate quickly, then looked at her mentor. "What are we doing today?"

"Battle training." Her eyes lit up, and Reedfoot took their remains and buried them. Mistystar paraded in from the camp entrance, shaking water from her fur and looking irritated.

"Fishpaw tried to walk on the ice. He fell through and I had to get him out." The drenched apprentice followed, shivering. "Go see Willowfur. She'll fix you up."

"Sorry," Fishpaw stuttered. "It was an accident." Then he walked away.

"Accident, my left ear!" Mistystar growled. She looked around. "Where did Flintclaw get to?" Reedfoot froze in panic, trying to think quickly.

"Uh…he went off to hunt really early."

"Why didn't I see him?" she wondered, just looking confused.

"Flintclaw said he was going down west, upriver."

"Oh." She walked away.

Stripepaw stared at him, her eyes hooded. "He isn't hunting, is he?"

Reedfoot looked confused at this assault, and he backed away. "Uh…"

"Yeah. I saw you two last night, _and _heard you. Is he, like, in _love _with Sparkfur or something?" Stripepaw looked disgusted.

"_No!_" he hissed. "He has to go off on a mission. I doubt he even likes her. She's related to stubborn old Squirrelflight."

"Don't even get me _started _on her!" the apprentice spat. "The things I could say about that she-cat…"

"Yeah, well, save it and stuff it with a pigeon," he snapped. "Come on. Do you want battle training or not?" Stripepaw nodded eagerly.

"Let's go!"

----

RED**STAR **POV: LEADER'S DEN

Redstar couldn't help but be worried. What if she'd gotten hurt—or hit by a monster? He sought comfort in his mate, Flowersong. **(I know, sounds like a complete Bluestar description, but she's actually related, through Mistystar. Mistystar had a second litter, you know, one after the one in **_**Forest of Secrets**_**, and Flowersong left for ThunderClan, kind of like Tawnypelt.)** The beautiful blue-gray she-cat looked at him with her laughing blue eyes and hushed him. "Oh, Redstar, she'll be fine. I know a big brave cat that was just like her."

It took him a moment to realize Flowersong was talking about him. "Well, I have to be worried. I could lose a warrior," he muttered. The gray she-cat laughed.

"Lose a warrior? Redstar, I know for a fact you're just saying that to cover up it's a fatherly emotion." She licked him tenderly on the ears.

"But Flowersong!" he meowed, eyes glittering with worry. "What if she's hurt? What if this is a lie? What if she's in…" He didn't say the last word.

"Love?" she hissed. "Don't you dare! She is perfectly loyal." The she-cat turned and stalked out of his den, for the first time truly angry with him.

Redstar was stunned. He sighed, and blinked as the deputy ran in. Squirrelflight skidded, throwing dust up into the air. "REDSTAR!" she screeched.

"What?" he gasped with a cough, blinking dust away.

"We've got a RiverClan apprentice and warrior. You should come see." Redstar followed his deputy, which was rather funny because she was his grandmother…but, he was surprised to see a small tabby she-cat and a lanky brown tom. They stood flanked by four warriors, Lionfur, Hollywhisker, Berrytail, and Cinderfoot. The gray she-cat grinned.

"Why, look at our motley crew," she joked. Redstar frowned.

"What are you two doing here? What are your names?"

"I'm Reedfoot, and this is Stripepaw, my apprentice. We…well, Stripepaw, this is your fault. Tell them."

"W-well," she stammered, stepping forward, "I need to speak to Redstar."

"Whatever you can say to him you can say to us, kitty!" hissed Mousepelt, appearing beside Honeyheart. The tabby bristled.

"It's fine." The six cats backed away, leaving him with the RiverClan intruders. "Come along." They followed him to his den.

"So, go ahead," he told Stripepaw, settling in his bed of moss with his tail curled around his paws. Stripepaw cleared her throat, washed a paw nervously, and began.

"Well, Reedfoot here is best friends with Flintclaw. He lied to Mistystar about where Flintclaw went, and she found out because Graywater overheard and snitched on us. So now she wants us to come and ask his whereabouts."

"I don't rightly know," he said. "Sparkfur left to get him last night, and I think…oh, yes. They were headed toward the old f—OH GREAT STARCLAN! They don't know where it is!"

The color drained from the cats' faces. "Uh-oh," Reedfoot muttered.

-----

FLINTCLAW POV: BESIDE THE THUNDERPATH

He woke with frost tipping his fur, making him look like a crystallized ball of fur. A few tail-lengths away, Sparkfur shivered and convulsed, and he felt guilty. Flintclaw shouldn't have been so rude to her. A thin film of scab covered her cut, but it was red and puffed. Suddenly a huffing and puffing brown cat paraded down the Thunderpath. Flintclaw recognized him as the ancient medicine cat of WindClan, Barkface. The thin tom flopped down, panting.

"What are you doing here, Barkface?" he asked.

It was a moment before the exhausted cat answered. "StarClan gave me a dream. Was I surprised to see Gorsepaw! They told me two cats of water and fire would need my help with the old forest. And I thought it must mean you."

Sparkfur woke and looked around, blinking groggily. Barkface fixed his eyes on the cat. "The old forest is very, very far from here. It may take you two at least a moon, and that's if things go well." He blinked. "Do you see the mountains?"

Flintclaw turned and stared at the jagged cliffs in the distance. "Yes."

"Head towards them. Oh, and, uh, Sparkfur, I thought you might need some herbs." He slyly revealed the pile of herbs under his paw. "Let me see your pad."

Barkface sniffed the wound, wrinkling his nose. "Nasty!" He pressed on a few herbs, to the horror and pain of Sparkfur, who stood biting her lip till blood ran down her chin.

"There you are. I wish you two luck. Goodbye." He dipped his head and bounded away.

"Well," Sparkfur said finally, "I suppose we're off. Hmm…tag, you're it!" She whacked him with her tail and limped away.

"Hey!" Flintclaw yowled. "Not fair!"


	9. Former Warriors of SkyClan?

**-Wh00t!- Only 1 more chapter till the end of this story, and the beginning of **_**Night of the Raven**_**! Hurray! Aren't you excited?!!**

**Also I have some writer's block so prepare for a short chapter.**

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BLACKFOOT POV: THUNDERCLAN CAMP, WARRIORS' DEN

The tom woke, bleary-eyed, to find the camp coated in a layer of snow. His heart seemed pressed and his throat was tight: Oh, yes. He hadn't been _her _love. With a muffled whimper, he turned his back to the cold and curled up tighter, shivering. His mind spun into a whirlwind.

Looking back over his shoulder, he saw a white warrior, carrying two mice in her teeth, struggling through the snow. His green eyes sparked with interest, and he turned himself around. Iceclaw stood at the threshold of the den, shaking her fur free of snow, golden eyes closed in distaste. "What are you doing?" he meowed. She dropped the mice, pushing one toward him, and settling in her nest next to him.

"I was hunting, and I heard what happened with Sparkfur." She took a bite, swallowing before continuing. "I know that you were my mentor, and all, but there's something I must tell you."

Blackfoot crunched on a mouthful of mouse, nodding for her to go on.

"Well," Iceclaw murmured, "I spoke to your sister, Lichenpaw, and your mother, Millie." **(Didn't expect that, did you?) **"They all say it's fine with them, if it's okay with you."

"Where are you going with this, Iceclaw?" a voice mewed. They looked up to see Foxshadow, who was knitting a brow.

"Leave them be, Foxshadow," growled Hollywhisker, scrunching closer to Lionfur. "Some of us are trying to sleep."

The pair waited until her breathing was slow and even. "Um, Blackfoot…I love you."

He stared at her. "_What?_"

-------

SPARKFUR POV: UNKNOWN

Sparkfur blinked open her eyes, yawning. She felt colder than usual, and saw a coat of snow over her fur. The she-cat shook away her horror. She'd had a dream that she'd been attacked by a huge fox, with Flintclaw battling beside her… "FLINTCLAW!" she yowled.

A wedge-shaped orange face, with black points, peered out from the bushes. The tom sprang up and stared into its amber eyes. "Sparkfur, run!"

She was frozen in fear. Flashbacks rushed through her mind, of Firestar being mauled…of his death…and her body steeled. New strength rippled through her. Her ears flattened; her lip curled; her eyes narrowed; her tail flashed into the air; her fur sprang up; her claws unsheathed. "No way!" she snarled. "I'm not letting it happen again."

"Don't be stupid!" Flintclaw hissed, slashing his claws across its muzzle. "You're hurt."

"Well, a cat's already fallen at the feet of a fox! I will _never _go through that with you!" she screamed, launching for the fox. This one, obviously, was wiser; it slammed her away with a paw. She tumbled to the ground, doing a somersault. "Oof!"

"Are you crazy?"

"These two must be mad, trying to fight Zio!"

"Must be, Mothflower!"

The three new arrivals appeared from nowhere, slashing at the fox, or "Zio". One was a deep gray with brown eyes. This was "Mothflower", as they called her.

Zio whimpered at the onslaught of five cats, turning tail and darting away. Mothflower let out a _mrrow _of laughter. "Hello. I'm Mothflower, as you know, that's Moonheart"—she pointed her tail to a white tom—"and that's Fawnstream"—her tail pointed to a brown she-cat with white spots.

"Those are warrior names!" Sparkfur exclaimed. "I'm Sparkfur, and that's Flintclaw." She nodded to the tabby, whose eyes were locked on Fawnstream. "Flintclaw!"

"Huh? What? Oh. Hi."

"Well, duh, they're warrior names. We're warriors of SkyClan." Moonheart rolled his eyes. "Where are you from?"

"We're from ThunderClan and RiverClan." Sparkfur's ears twitched. "I heard SkyClan live far away. What're you doing up here?"

"_Ohhh!_" Fawnstream meowed, laughing. "Mothflower's an excellent liar. We _were _warriors of SkyClan, but we left. If you're looking for the Great Forest, we can help you there."

-----

**Well? I told you it'd be a short chapter. I love Fawnstream. –hugs- She's so cute. Here's a list of their personalities, just 'cause I'm bored:**

**Fawnstream: This she-cat has had a litter of kits. She is cool and calm, spunky and fun, and fiery and rude. She knows how to debate and can put up a good fight. Most Like In This Story: Iceclaw, even though you don't see much of her.**

**Moonheart: This tom is more reserved than the rest. Although now an uncle, he is very easily offended and can't take the heat in most fights. Most Like In This Story: Flintclaw (when he's mad).**

**Mothflower: The most fun and outgoing of the trio, she is the ringleader. She can easily get anyone to eat out of her paws with just a little smooth-talking. Most Like In This Story: Sparkfur (when she's in a bad situation).**


	10. Leader of JaggedClan, Deaddust

**GAH! Why isn't anyone reviewing? –sad face- I may discontinue the series if I'm writing for a lost cause.**

**---**

MOONHEART POV: UNKNOWN

The white tom was tired, this was true; but his green eyes were locked on the sleeping scarlet she-cat. Sparkfur's beauty was beyond him, and one thing wasn't: He was in love with her.

He glanced over at Fawnstream, curled up with her six kits: Russetkit, Quailkit, Cherrykit, Beechkit, Larkkit, and Ivykit. This was his sister's third litter, and this was the most she'd ever had. Because of the coming winter and lack of food, exhaustion gnawed at her heels especially; she had six little ones to feed, not to mind her own body. Moonheart bit his cheek, feeling a twinge of worry in his belly.

He heard a voice. "What're you doing?" Moonheart whipped around quickly, and found it was only Mothflower. She chuckled. "I noticed you kept staring at Sparkfur. Got a crush on a foreign cat?"

The tom flattened his ears and hissed. "No. She's…just pretty, that's all."

"HUH WHO DAT!" Sparkfur leaped in the air, swung her head around, and then collapsed again, snoring loudly.

"Quite a keeper," Mothflower commented.

------

DEADDUST POV: ABOVE THE HOLLOW

The tan tom swished his tail, a lust for power filling his stomach. Swiping his tongue around his lips and tasting only last night's meal, he whipped around. "You lot! Is there any food?"

No one replied, so Deaddust stalked to the pit where the fresh-kill was kept. It wasn't really a _pit_, more like a steep dip in the hill. Peering in, he saw a few bird carcasses, some mice, and…ah! Perfect! He tenderly picked out a juicy vole by the tail and strutted back to his perch above the hollow. As he crunched on the meat, he spotted a gray she-cat padding out of the hollow. An extra-hard bite gave him a scratch on the inside of his cheek.

"Deaddust? Do you really think we should kill off ThunderClan? I mean, they don't deserve it," a voice sounded. He turned. It was his mate, Bloodrose.

"Ha! Until the Black Raven appears, they deserve _everything_ I give them!" he snarled, slashing her face. She flinched, but lowered her eyes and turned her white, scarred body away to find the medicine cat, Killingfang. Peering around, he noticed Poisonclaw lean over and whisper something to Evilbite.

"What did you say?" he growled, padding over. The tabby tom looked horrified. Deaddust pressed his skull against Poisonclaw's. "_What. Did. You. Say?_"

"Nothing. Nothing of disrespect, Deaddust!" Poisonclaw howled, rolling onto his back in a doglike submission.

"Good, because if you did, JaggedClan would have to, well, you know—kill you." He gave him a glance, smacked him in the face with his tail, and darted away. Deaddust peered over the edge, then spun and called, "Evilbite! Get me a few rocks."

The golden queen picked up two large stones and dropped them at the tom's paws. He dipped his head, then looked down, judging who he should hit. A brown tabby she-cat trotted below the hollow, just in the right range…and he slid it off the edge. _Crack! _It hit her with a sickening crunch. She crumpled to the ground, bright red blood oozing from her wound. A dark gray tom bounded toward her. "Brook!" he yowled, amber eyes glinting with sorrow. He looked up to see a tan tail _just _disappearing.

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REDSTAR POV: LEAFPOOL AND JAYLEAF'S DEN

The red tom looked over the blind medicine cat's apprentice shoulder. "How is she?"

Jayleaf growled, pushing him away with his tail.

"We don't know. The wound was bad, but smell the rock that hit her," Jayleaf mewed. Leafpool pushed it toward him. It was mostly smooth, a dark gray spattered with blood with one jagged edge. He gave it a sniff.

"JaggedClan."

"What?" Leafpool prompted.

"JaggedClan!" Redstar hissed, bristling. He turned and ran out of the den, taking a flying leap up onto the Highledge. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

The cats, all inside because of the snow, trudged through the fluff to the Highledge. They were surprised to see him panting for breath. "Cats of ThunderClan!" he meowed. "We all know Brook was hit by a rock. Not just a loose one—a JaggedClan cat pushed it over the edge!"

"What's JaggedClan?" called Bumblebee.

"Who remembers Deadkit?" he yowled, looking about. A few cats meowed they remembered. "He hated his name. He hated it all. He left! He built a Clan."

"I thought he'd drowned!" said Brackenfur.

"No. He's mad at us. And now, he plans to kill us!" Redstar yowled.

"_Kill! Kill!_" chorused a few dozen voices, there was a crack, and Redstar fell from the Highledge.

----

**GRRR. I hate writer's block! But at least it's the end of the book, and I can write the new book, **_**Night of the Raven**_**! –Wh00t-**

**I've also had a great idea for a story about Spottedleaf, my most favorite cat EVER. Everyone knows Firepaw/heart/star loved her, but who did **_**she **_**love? Up to five chapters only. I got other stories to worry 'bout.**


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